Taxes

January 23rd, 2013, 04:05 PM

So kind of a weird question.

I started doing my taxes today on TurboTax (BCT next week) and it has a question "Were you a member of the armed services in 2012?" I enlisted as an 09S on 12DEC2012, so I'm technically an E-4 (which they have special pricing for), but I haven't been to BCT or even an RSP drill yet. Technically I am a member of the National Guard, but was just wondering if I should check the box or if there are other qualifications you need to have before claiming that benefit. I work at a gov't contractor where some guys use their contractor ID to get military discounts, and I don't want to be that guy trying to get a benefit he doesn't qualify for.

I started doing my taxes today on TurboTax (BCT next week) and it has a question "Were you a member of the armed services in 2012?" I enlisted as an 09S on 12DEC2012, so I'm technically an E-4 (which they have special pricing for), but I haven't been to BCT or even an RSP drill yet. Technically I am a member of the National Guard, but was just wondering if I should check the box or if there are other qualifications you need to have before claiming that benefit. I work at a gov't contractor where some guys use their contractor ID to get military discounts, and I don't want to be that guy trying to get a benefit he doesn't qualify for.

Thanks for the help.

Unless someone here is an actual accountant, I would discard immediately any advice you get here.

Comment

I started doing my taxes today on TurboTax (BCT next week) and it has a question "Were you a member of the armed services in 2012?" I enlisted as an 09S on 12DEC2012, so I'm technically an E-4 (which they have special pricing for), but I haven't been to BCT or even an RSP drill yet. Technically I am a member of the National Guard, but was just wondering if I should check the box or if there are other qualifications you need to have before claiming that benefit. I work at a gov't contractor where some guys use their contractor ID to get military discounts, and I don't want to be that guy trying to get a benefit he doesn't qualify for.

Thanks for the help.

Well, at some point you WERE a member of the Armed Services in 2012 based on your enlistment date.

Comment

Based on your post, my advice was based on that you did not earn any income from the miltary in 2012. But since you are now a member, why use turbo tax? You can go to a military post and use their tax filing services for free and the rep can better answer your questions. Of course, I hope you are near one. Or call military one source for info.

Well, at some point you WERE a member of the Armed Services in 2012 based on your enlistment date.

But can decide to not go ahead with his contract in January. If that is the case, should he receive any tax benefit due to those two weeks of not receiving pay just because he signed an enlistment contract? Anyway, just my take.

Comment

Based on your post, my advice was based on that you did not earn any income from the miltary in 2012. But since you are now a member, why use turbo tax? You can go to a military post and use their tax filing services for free and the rep can better answer your questions. Of course, I hope you are near one. Or call military one source for info.

Unless his states Guard is running a tax center, which is highly unlikely, he is not eligible for legal assistance on an installation in the manner you suggest because he is not on active duty.

He is eligible to use H&R Block on the military one source site for free.

Comment

I started doing my taxes today on TurboTax (BCT next week) and it has a question "Were you a member of the armed services in 2012?" I enlisted as an 09S on 12DEC2012, so I'm technically an E-4 (which they have special pricing for), but I haven't been to BCT or even an RSP drill yet. Technically I am a member of the National Guard, but was just wondering if I should check the box or if there are other qualifications you need to have before claiming that benefit. I work at a gov't contractor where some guys use their contractor ID to get military discounts, and I don't want to be that guy trying to get a benefit he doesn't qualify for.

Thanks for the help.

Checking yes or no is not going to change your return. There is no benefit for simply being a member. By checking yes it is going to prompt the program to ask you more military related questions, like tax exluded income from combat and so on, which would obviously be no. So in reality, it won't matter what you check either way.

Checking yes or no is not going to change your return. There is no benefit for simply being a member. By checking yes it is going to prompt the program to ask you more military related questions, like tax exluded income from combat and so on, which would obviously be no. So in reality, it won't matter what you check either way.

Bingo. I was thinking of the deployment question since that affected my 2010 and now 2012 return. You the best Paralegal I'm getting more bang in my return.

Comment

Checking yes or no is not going to change your return. There is no benefit for simply being a member. By checking yes it is going to prompt the program to ask you more military related questions, like tax exluded income from combat and so on, which would obviously be no. So in reality, it won't matter what you check either way.

Comment

I am not a tax professional, but I just wanted to point out you do not need to be an accountant to be one.

I'm a layman, and thus unfamiliar with the distinctions between the various classes of tax professionals. Regardless, I still think my advice -- that an anonymous military-themed message board is not the place to go for advice on taxes -- is valid. However, your explanation makes sense and I believe it.

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The answer is a flat out NO! Be warned the IRS is auditing people left and right and you don't want to end up on their chopping block because in the Tax system you are guilty until proven innocent, I don't like that nor do I agree with that but I'm just telling you that is the way they do things.